Haven't watched much movies last year. Since it is Oscar week, I have watched Gravity, Her, 12 Years a Slave and Wolf of Wall Street.

Gravity:

Really overrated movie. I don't know if that has to do with watching it at home instead of 3D. The visuals are great and it is a non-stop thriller. Haven't see a movie that kept you on the edge of your seat like this move. Other than that, it is a pretty boring plot and story. 6/10

Her:

A very good movie from all aspects of life. Cinematography was great and every scene artistic. You can pretty much freeze frame everyone see and it would make a nice portrait. You can't help but find yourself in love with the AI just like Theodore did. To later find out it is Johannson, is a bonus. I can go on about this movie and its philosophical underlying but that is another thread. 9/10

12 Years a Slave:

Probably the best movie from an era and storytelling. Great movie and it made you wish there were more movies like this. The dialogue, clothes and mannerism were depicted accurately. Paid very good attention to detail. 8/10

Wolf of Wall Street

Good movie but it didn't need to be 3 hours long of foul language, sex and drugs. They could have cut that crap out. The acting was way over the top and it feels like a ripoff of many Scorcese classics. No character development and there was no moral of the story. The beautiful thing about this film is how Scorcese and Leo conned us in watching this movie like the main character. In that aspect it was brilliant but as a movie snob, it wasn't very good compared to his other films. 7/10

Lone Survivor
9/10
"Been around the world twice. Talked to everyone once. Seen two whales ****, been to three world faires. And I even know a man in Thailand with a wooden ****. I pushed more peeter, more sweeter and more completer than any other peter pusher around. I'm a hard bodied, hairy chested, rootin' tootin' shootin', parachutin' demolition double cap crimpin' frogman. There ain't nothin' I can't do. No sky too high, no sea too rough, no muff too tough. Been a lot of lessons in my life. Never shoot a large caliber man with a small caliber bullet. Drove all kinds of trucks. 2by's, 4by's , 6by's and those big mother ****ers that bend and go 'Shhh Shhh' when you step on the brakes. Anything in life worth doing is worth overdoing. Moderation is for cowards. I'm a lover, I'm a fighter, I'm a UDT Navy SEAL diver. I'll wine, dine, intertwine, and sneak out the back door when the refueling is done. So if you're feeling froggy, then you better jump, because this frogman's been there, done that and is going back for more. Cheers boys."

I thought it was beautiful to look at, but pretty empty when you really try to think about it. I've come to the conclusion that it's just an artistic disaster flick

I 100% bought into Sandra Bullock's character, her past and her doubts about whether it was worth struggling on. Her relative inexperience also allows you to identify with her a bit in such an impossible situation. That just added to the already high level of tension throughout the movie. The bleak tone and the isolation and silence of space pulled me in and that's a credit to the overall direction, not just the visual effects.

That's the difference between Gravity and something like Avatar (which you compared it to previously) for me. Both huge technical achievements but one won me over on a visceral level while the other was merely going through the action movie motions while looking extremely good.

I 100% bought into Sandra Bullock's character, her past and her doubts about whether it was worth struggling on. Her relative inexperience also allows you to identify with her in such an impossible situation. That just added to the already high level of tension throughout the movie. The bleak tone and the isolation and silence of space pulled me in and that's a credit to the overall direction, not just the visual effects.

That's the difference between Gravity and something like Avatar (which you compared it to previously) for me. Both huge technical achievements but one won me over on a visceral level while the other was merely going through the action movie motions while looking extremely good.

And when it comes to ratings, the way I look at it:
10 = incredible, the best of the best.
9 = excellent
8 = very good
7 = good
6 = decent
5 = meh
4 = bad
3 = awful
2 = horrendous
1 = The Human Centipede 2

Thanks for the informative response. I can't say I remember much about the Bullock character's past (she lost a child, right?) so I can't comment on that...

This might sound weird but Before Midnight may have had a larger emotional impact on me than 12 Years a Slave. It was such a brutally honest movie and the last 30 minutes of it constantly slap you in the face with the reality of life and relationships. I've never seen a movie that is such a close reflection of reality like Before Midnight. For a movie that's nothing more than dialogue, it was tough to watch and had me thinking so much after it was over. Amazing movie. It's right up there with Gravity for my fave of the year.